If you run into questions while helping your child learn to use print — or anything else — you need only think back to how adults help a child learn to speak and accomplish so much else in their early years.
Let’s take a moment now to examine the findings from studies in various countries and cultures concerning how we help children learn to speak.
Follow the links in the following statement to discover that studies of speech acquisition find about what a child brings to learning —
Adults help a child learn to talk by modeling,
And as we model, we emphasize words with meaning to the child.
Then if the child is interested enough, they spontaneously
The way we use Special Words does not replicate learning to speak. However, it comes very close, so I say it mirrors speech. The major difference is that we are more intentional about helping the child develop the skills involved. We carefully guide their practice as we help them develop the ability to read, write, and eventually, carry out “real-life” projects.
Also, note that there is no rote learning or memorization involved with Special Words and The Steps. This is just as there’s none in learning to speak. That is, we don’t sit a toddler in their highchair and “teach” them how to talk. Instead, we use the child’s interests and capitalize on their natural learning strategy. And that’s what we also do here, with print.
This approach recognizes, values, and capitalizes on what the young child brings to the learning process.